Monday, 5 December 2011

Review: Mac Matchmaster Foundation

Are you searching for a foundation which doesn't turn you into an oil slick by lunchtime? If you are, and you have oily / combination skin, Mac's most recent foundation, Matchmaster may be worth a try.

During the summer, I tend to only use tinted moisturiser for a light coverage and to even out my skin tone but when the colder weather hits, I make for a foundation for some decent coverage. Mac's Matchmaster attracted me as I was looking for a product which included an SPF, and with an SPF 15 included, this particular foundation jumped out at me.

Mac launched this foundation in the autumn and it is specifically targeted at those with combination skin. I would estimate that if you have very dry skin, this will not a suitable foundation for you, as there are other options within Mac's range that will be better suited to your skin type.

The foundation comes in a heavy glass bottle, complete with pump. The packaging feels solid and good quality, and in line with what you would expect from Mac products.

Mac have eschewed their usual numbering of foundation products and brought in a new system of shade labelling for the Matchmaster range. I purchased the shade in 3.0 which is broadly equivalent to NC30 although I would advise you to pop into a counter to be matched if you can as undertones vary greatly between shades.

The picture above shows one pump of the product and I have found that one and a half pumps covers my whole face easily. It is very easy to blend with either a brush or your fingers and is not overly runny or liquid when you apply. I found it provides an easily buildable, blendable medium coverage, which evened out my skintone and covered small imperfections. I still required concealer for some blemishes but overall, it provided a good, dewy / semi-matte finish which lasted around 6-7 hours before I needed to blot.

Mac say that Matchmaster works with your skintone and alters to achieve smooth, even coverage which blends in with your skin. Indeed, when I was at the Mac counter, the sales assistant left me for a few minutes after applying it and it did seem to settle more and 'adapt' to my skintone over a few minutes. The photo above is of one pump blended in to the back of my hand and, although you can't see very clearly, it does blend in well with my skintone.

Verdict

As a newbie to Mac foundations, I can't compare Matchmaster with any other offerings from the brand. However I would say that this is probably well-suited to those with combination / oily skin who prefer their foundations to provide medium coverage, which allows a little of your natural glow to shine through.